Strip entry equipment for spiral pipe machine



March 1963 D. o. ANDERSON ETAL STRIP ENTRY EQUIPMENT FOR SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed May 11, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 19, 1963 D. o. ANDERSON ETAL 3, 3

STRIP ENTRY EQUIPMENT FOR SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed May 11, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ill II "\II II "11 March 19, 1963 D. o. ANDERSON ETAL 3,081,313

STRIP ENTRY EQUIPMENT FOR SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed May 11, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 1963 n. o. ANDERSON Ei'AL 3,031,813

STRIP ENTRY EQUIPMENT FOR SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed May 1-1, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3,tl81,813 ST ENTRY EQUIPMENT FOR SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Douglas 0. Anderson, Park Forest, and Robert M. Hall,

Olympia Fields, Ill., assignors to Acme Steel Company,

Chicago, ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 11, B59, Ser. No. 812,392 9 Claims. (Cl. 153-66) This invention relates to the art of forming spiral wound pipe from a strip of metal wound helically into a tubular shape with the edges of adjacent turns of the strip welded together in abutting relationship.

Machines for forming spiral wound pipe consist of both the forming and the entry units. The forming unit usually consists of a plurality of rolls arranged about a forming mandrel which cooperate to form a flat metal strip into the spiral wound pipe. The entry equipment or unit ordinarily contains a supply of strip metal in a coil and at least strip driving and guiding equipment to drive and direct the strip in a fiat and straight path from the coil or other supply to the forming unit where it is formed into pipe continuously. The entry equipment can also contain, among other things, a strip leveler to flatten the strip, a shear for cropping the ends of a coil and a welder for welding together the trailing end of one coil of strip and the leading end of another.

Although some machines are adapted for manufacture of a single diameter pipe, it is preferable in many cases that the machine be adjustable to manufacture a wide range of diameter sizes. In order to do this conveniently, it is desirable if not essential to have a machine which will accommodate diiferent width strip as well as permit changing the entry angle of the strip. In those machines presently available which permit change of the strip entry angle, the entry equipment is pivotally mounted to allow angular movement of it which movement changes the entry angle. At the innermost regions of the entry equipment there are provided guides above and below the strip which guide the strip in close to the entry rolls of the forming unit. This is essential to insure that no buckling of the strip occurs while it is pushed into the forming unit by the strip driving means because the strip metal used is ordinarily too thin to rely on for sufficient column strength to overcome the strip buckling tendency. The difficulty of prior art devices has been that these guides above and below the strip must be adjusted in and out relative to the entry rolls of the forming unit each time the entry angle of the entry equipment is changed and this has proven to be a relatively time consuming and annoying operation. It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide improved strip entry equipment for a spiral pipe machine which needs no in and out adjustment of the guides above and below the strip when the angle of entry of the strip is changed by changing the angle of the entry equipment.

This is accomplished by providing the forward portion of the entry equipment most closely adjacent to the forming unit in a fixed position adapted to guide the leading end of the strip in closely to the entry rolls of the forming unit. The rear of this portion is provided with a circular curvature, or approximately so, and the curved rear portion is closely positioned to the leading end of the rear portion of the entry equipment. This rear portion is mounted to be moved through an arc to vary the entry angle of the strip and its leading end is curved to substantially conform to the closely adjacent curvature of the rear end of the forward fixed portion. With this arrangement, when the entry angle of the strip is changed, it is always properly supported by the entry equipment without requiring in or out adjustment of any of the guides on the entry equipment.

filfilh Patented Mar. 19, 1963,

In the pipe forming units of some spiral pipe machines, the reference line for the machine is the center line of the pipe to be formed regardless of its diameter. In such a case, as the machine is adjusted to produce a different size pipe, the level of strip entry to the forming unit must be adjusted accordingly up or down. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved spiral pipe machine in which improved means are provided for adjusting the levels of both the fixed and the movable portions of the strip entry unit when adjustment of the machine is made to produce different diameters of pipe. This is accomplished in one form by screw type jacks which can be operated to adjust the levels of the two portions of the entry equipment either separately or together or automatically in response to the adjustment of the pipe forming unit when changing to form pipe of a ditferent diameter. The manner of obtaining level control between the two portions of the entry equipment can be by use of a limit switch for controlling the operation of a motor which actuates the jacks of the rear portion of the entry equipment in response to the level of the forward portion of the entry equipment. The means of obtaining proper level control automatically from the adjustment of the forming unit can be by a direct drive to the jacks of the forward portion of the entry unit from the drive for the adjustment on the forming unit.

The facility of the machine to be readily and quickly adjusted to compensate for changeover to different pipe sizes cannot be too greatly emphasized. The reason for this is that a pipe forming machine entails a very large investment and in places where an adjustable machine of this type is used, viz., one for producing many different size pipes, it is essential that changeover from one pipe size to another be accomplished with a minimum of down time in order to keep the machine running at high output without lengthy interruption. It is necessary to operate at high output, even though many different size pipes are made during a single work shift, in order to make the cost of the pipe competitive with pipe produced on machines designed to product a single size pipe for long periods of time without changeover, otherwise, the machine will not pay for itself and the investment price cannot be justified.

Other objects and advantages of the invention should become apparent from a study of the accompanying drawings in which: i

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view in somewhat simplified form of one embodiment of an entire spiral pipe machine embodying both the strip entry as well as the pipe forming units;

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the forward portions of the strip entry equipment shown in FIG. 1, but in more detail;

FIG. 3 shows a view along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and particularly shows the switch control mechanism between the front and rear portions of the strip entry equipment;

FIG. 4 shows a side elevation of the forward portion of the strip entry equipment shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged partial sectional and side elevation view of a portion of the entry equipment as viewed along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 showsa sectional View of the internal mechanism of one of the jacks used to raise and lower portions of the strip entry equipment;

FIG. 7 shows a bottom sectional view of the forward portion of the strip entry equipment as viewed along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 shows a partial sectional view of the leading part of the forward portion of the strip entry equipment as viewed along the line 8% of FIG. 2.

A preferred form of a spiral pipe making machine embodying the principles of this invention as somewhat diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1, consists of the strip entry equipment or unit 1 which provides strip of different widths to a spiral pipe forming unit 2 where the strip is spirally wound into a pipe shape with adjacent edges of the spirally wound strip welded together in order to maintain the pipe shape.

The strip entry unit is divided into two parts, a rear unit 3 and a forward unit 4. The rear unit 3 is angularly movable in a horizontal plane as evidenced by the two extreme positions indicated by phantom lines 5 and 6. The forward unit 4 is angularly immovable in this manner. The pipe forming unit 2 does not form any part of this invention per se and it may be a conventional type which is capable of producing a pipe of a wide range of pipe diameters. The particular type of pipe forming unit used with this invention is one wherein the center lines of the pipes formed on the machine are coincident and the constant reference about which all adjustments are made to change or adjust from the manufacture of one diameter size pipe to another. However, some of the principles of the invention can apply equally well to machines using different reference lines or points.

On the rear unit 3 are various units for servicing the strip and driving it forward into the pipe forming unit 2. As an example, the rear unit 3 carries an adjustable coil cradle 7 for supporting a coil of strip which is to be used in the machine. It is preferably adjustable in order to accommodate coils of different width, as required. As the strip is pulled from the coil cradle, it passes through a roller leveler 8 which is used to flatten the strip, if necessary. Beyond the leveler 8, is a shear unit 9 which is used to crop the trailing ends of consumed coils and the lead ends of fresh coils of strip prior to welding together these ends to form a continuous length between any two successive strip coils. The welding of the ends is performed on a welding unit 10 beyond the shear 9. Beyond the welder It) may be placed another strip flattener or leveler 11 and an edge grinder 12 can be positioned beyond the flattener. These units 7 through 12 may be of any conventional type now existing on the market and do not in themselves constitute any part of the invention. Also, other units might be used, or some of these can be eliminated, depending upon the quality of the strip used and other circumstances. The rear unit 3 is divided into two sections. The first section 3a is the portion on which is mounted the units 7 through 12 The second section 312 is ahead of the section 3a and is separated from it. It carries on it the strip drive unit 13 and edge bending unit 14. After emerging from these two units, the strip designated as 15 passes through the forward unit 4 which leads the strip into the pipe forming unit 2. Although the two sections 3a and 3b of the strip entry unit move angularly as a unit in a horizontal plane, as already described, the second section 3b can also be raised and lowered vertically as required in order to properly lead the strip 15 into the forward unit 4. Similarly, even though the forward unit 4 of the entry equipment is not provided with angular movement in any horizontal plane, it is still capable of being raised and lowered vertically as required to properly present the strip 15 to the proper region of the pipe forming unit 2. After the strip 15 enters the pipe forming unit 2, it is formed into a spiral pipe as indicated at 16 in FIG. 1.

The strip entry unit 3 is supported on a large frame 17 which is best viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4. This frame 17 is sufficiently large that it conveniently supports all of the units 7 through 14, as mentioned. This frame 17 is provided with rollers 18 which roll on four arcuate tracks 19, 211, 2 1 and 22. These tracks are of suilicient length to permit at least the degree of angular movement indicated between positions at 5 and 6 in FIG. 1. The leading end 17a of the frame 17 is journaled on alarge shaft 23 mounted. on a base 24 secured to a concrete foundation 25. The tracks 19 to 22 also rest on this concrete foundation 25 which supports the entire machine and their radii of curvature have a center coincident with the center of the shaft 23.

The second section 3b of the rear portion of the entry equipment is supported on the frame 17 indirectly through three jacks 26, 27 and 28. These jacks are of a construction similar to what is shown in FIG. 6. The housing 29 of each of the jacks is provided with a main screw 39 which is the portion of the jack which raises and lowers in order to cause the second section 3b to be raised and lowered. The upper end of the screw 30 is provided with a platform 31 which is secured to the under side of the second section 3b. The screw 39 is provided with an external threaded portion which engages the internal teeth provided on a bevel gear 33 secured in the housing 29 between two thrust bearings 32. Rotation of the bevel gear 33 causes the screw 30 to raise or lower depending upon which direction the gear is rotated. The bevel gear 33 is also provided with peripheral teeth which engage the threaded exterior of a worm gear 34 which is journaled in the housing 29 at right angles to the screw 3i This construction of the jacks is described as an eX- ample of a type jack which can be used on this apparatus. However, other type jacks can be purchased for this same purpose.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the jacks 26, 27 and 28 have their housing 29 secured to the frame 17. Therefore, upon raising and lowering of their platforms 31, the second section 3b is caused to be correspondingly raised or lowered. So that the second section 3b will be raised evenly by all of the jacks, the worm gears 34- on all of them are driven from the same drive means at the same rate. The worm gear of the jack 2.6 is driven by a shaft 35, the worm gear of the jack 27 is driven by a shaft 36 and the worm gear of the jack 28 is driven by a shaft 37. These shafts 35, 36 and 37 all lead from a gear box 38 which transmits identical rotation to the shafts and in the proper direction so that the screws 30 of all of the jacks either raise or lower when operated. The shaft 36 is provided with a wheel 39 which is driven by a. belt 40 from a pulley 41 driven by a gear reducer 42. The gear reducer in turn is driven by an electric motor 43 which is reversible in order to cause the screws 30 of the jacks to be driven either up or down.

The second section 3b has mounted thereon the strip drive unit 13 and the edge bending unit 14, as previously mentioned. The strip drive unit consists of a pair of feed rolls 44 and 45 between which the strip 15 is passed as the rolls are rotated to drive it in the direction of the arrow 46. These feed rolls 4 and 45 are driven by suitable means in a conventional manner from a drive shaft 47 driven through a gear reducer 48 by means of an electric motor 4-9. After the strip emerges from between the feed rolls 44 and 45 it is guided in a horizontal plane between upper guides 50' and lower guides 51 which guide it to the edge bending unit 14. The edge bending unit consists of a shaft 52 which has enlarged portions 53 at its ends which engage the strip at its edges against the enlarged ends 54 of another shaft 55 immediately below the shaft 52. The shapes of the enlarged ends 53 and 54 are such as to curve the edges of the strip 15 slightly upwardly to counteract the tendency for the edges to curve in the opposite direction which occurs as the strip is wound into a spiral pipe. These enlarged ends 53 and 54 are preferably adjustable along the rolls 52 and 55 to permit them to contact the edges of the strips of different widths. This type of edge bending unit is well known in the art and forms no part of the invention.

After the strip leaves the vinicity of the edge bending unit 14, it passes through a horizontal opening provided through a guide 5 6. The guide 56 confines the strip 15 I to a horizontal path between upper guides 57 and lower It is significant that the guides 57 and 58 are not adjust able and that their ends 57a and 58a assume a curved path relative to each other in horizontal planes. As the strip passes beyond these ends 57a and 58a, it is led by these guides into the forward unit 4 which further guides the strip in a horizontal plane. The forward unit 4- is provided with an upper guide 61 and a lower guide 62, each being in the form of a lattice type structure provided with transverse support members 61a and 62a (FIG. 7) which are secured to longitudinal guide members 61b and 62b which are spaced from each other only enough to allow free passage of the strip 15 between them. These guides 61 and 62 together may be referred to as guide member 63.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the one edge 63a of the guide member 63 is provided with four hold down arms 64 which are pivoted on shafts 65 to the guide 61. These hold down arms 64 are L-shaped and their forward ends 64 a are designed to contact the upper surface of the strip 15 and apply pressure against it to closely direct the travel of the strip 15 as it emerges from the guide member 63. The rear ends of these arms 64 are provided with adjustable set screws 66 which can be adjusted to vary the height of the inner ends 64b of the arm 64 relative to a reaction surface 67 for the screws 66. Such adjustment of the screws 66 varies the pressure of the leading ends 64a of these arms against the strip 15. As particularly shown in FIG. 8, these arms 64 contact the strip 15 immediately adjacent to the vicinity of the first entry roll 68 provided on the pipe forming unit 2. These arms, therefore, provide double assurance against strip buckle upon entry of the strip into the pipe forming unit 2.

It was emphasized that the ends 57a and 53a of the guides 57 and 58 were arranged in curved paths. Likewise, the rear edges 63]; of the guide member 63 are arranged in a modified curved path. The curvature of the rear edge 63b could just as well be uniform, but for purposes of construction, it is made up of a plurality of straight portions connected to each other to substantially represent a curvature corresponding to the paths of the ends 57a and 58a of the guides 57 and 58. It should apappear obvious that, as the frame 17 is moved angularly about its pivot on the shaft 23 that the ends 57a and 58a remain in proximity to the rear end 63b of the guide member 63 because the approximate radii of curvature of the ends 57a, 58a and 63!) have their centers at approximately the location of the. pivot shaft 23 of the frame 17. With this arrangement, the strip 15 is always guided rather closely at both its upper and lower surfaces as it is led from the guide 56 to the guide member 63 regardless of the angular position of the frame 17 relative to the angularly fixed position of the forward unit 4 which carries the guide member 63. On prior art devices, where the angular relationship is changed to alter the entry angle of the strip feed relative to the pipe forming unit and there is no horizontally stationary guide unit 4, it is necessary to provide some form of adjustment of the guides leading into the pipe forming machine each time the entry angle is changed. This is a nuisance operation and very time consuming. On the device of this invention, when the strip entry angle is changed, no guide adjustment whatsoever is required and this is one of the important features of the invention.

On the bottom surface of the guide member 63 is a threaded shaft 69 which is journaled in two bearings 70 and 71 depending from the lower guide 62. The shaft 69 threadably engages an internally threaded carriage 72 which is provided with a channel shaped recess 73 which is guided along a way 74- secured to the guide 62. Se-

cured to the carriage by means of a shaft 75 held by a nut 76 is a roller 77 which is free to rotate on the shaft 75 in a horizontal plane adjacent the level of the path of the strip 15. Upon rotation of the threaded shaft 69, the carriage 72 is caused to move along the length of the shaft 69 in a direction dependent upon the direction of rotation of the shaft 69. As this occurs, the roller 77 is similarly moved in the same direction. The purpose or the roller 77 is as a side guide for one edge of the strip 15. It is moved to a position corresponding to the particular width of the strip being used in the machine at the time. In FIG. 2, the roller 77 is shown in a position where it acts as a guide for a strip having a width not exceeding that indicated by the dotted line at 15a, the width being established from the dotted line indicated at 15b. In case the width of the strip used is as wide as indicated by the dotted line at 150, the guide roller 77 cannot be extended that far and it would have to be removed.

In order to rotate the threaded shaft 69', it is provided at its one end with a pulley 78 which is driven by means of a belt 79 from another pulley 8t} driven through a gear reducer 81 by means of a motor 82. The motor 82 is reversible in order to reverse direction of travel of the carriage 72 by rdversing rotation of the shaft 69 as required.

Just as the second section 312 of the rear unit 3 can be raised or lowered by means of jacks 26, 27 and 28, the forward section 4 can also be raised or lowered by means of similar jacks 83, 84 and 85. These jacks can be of the same identical type as the others except that they are mounted on three upright supports 83a, 84a and 85a, respectively. These supports rest on a portion of the concrete foundation 25. The upper ends of the screws 3% of these jacks 33, 84and 85 are secured by suitable brackets to the lower guide 62 of the guide member 63. nected horizontal shafts 86, 87 and 88 to a gear box 89 which is driven by means of a vertical shaft 90. The vertical shaft 90 is connected to another gear box 91 which is driven by means of another shaft 92 which in turn is driven through another gear box 93. The gear box 93 is preferably provided with a shaft connected to .be driven from the power means used .to adjust the forming rollers asstx -ciated with the pipe forming unit 2. The particular arrangement of this driving connection can be of many different standard types and would depend upon the particular pipe forming unit 2 used. With this arrangement, as the forming rolls of the pipe forming unit 2 are adjusted to provide formanufacture of different diameter size pipe, the shaft 92 is driven through the gear box 93 and this causes rotation of the shafts 92, 88, 87 and 86 to cause the worm gears 34 of all of the jacks 83, 84 and 85 to be raised or lowered in unison in accordance with the direction of rotation of the shafts as determined by the rotation of the first shaft 92.

As particularly shown in FIG. 3, means is provided for insuring that the guide 56 raises or lowers as the guide member 63 raises or lowers. The means consists of two limit switches 94 and 95. The actuating arm 94a of the limit switch 94 rests upon the upper surface 630 of the guide member 63 while the actuating arm 95a of the limit switch 95 rests upon the lower surface 63d of the guide member 63. In these positions of the actuating arms of the switches, the internal switch contacts are both open and their contacts are arranged in such a manner that closing of the contacts of one switch causes rotation of the electric motor 43 in one direction and closing of the other switch contacts causes reverse rotation of the motor. As the guide member 63 is raised in response to rotation of the shaft 92, as the pipe forming unit 2 is adjusted, the actuating arm 94a is pivoted to theposition indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3. This causes the contacts of switches 94 to close and thereby energize the electric motor 43 which in turn causes rotation of the shafts 35, 36 and 37 in a direction to cause the screws 39 of the jacks 26, 2'7 and 28 to be raised. This causes the forward section 3b of the entry equipment to be elevated. After the guide member 63 is arrested in its upward movement, the actuating arm 94:: of the switch 94 returns to its initial position as shown The worm gears 34 are driven by con-' in dark outline in FIG. 3. At this time, the guide 56 is in proper .alignment with the guide member 63 so that the strip is in proper alignment through botl of the guide members. At that time, the contacts or the switch 94 again open and the screws 30 of the acks stop their upward movement as the electric motor 43 is deenergized. In the same manner the switch 95 controls the downward movement of the guide 56 relative to the guide member 63. I

In summary, strip entry equipment has been provided which permits an angular adjustment of the strip entry to the pipe forming unit 2 without any manual ad ustment of guides leading into the pipe forming unit Provided also is strip entry equipment which automatically adjusts its guide height to correspond to the proper entry height required of the strip entry to the p pe forming unit 2 in order to produce any particular pipe diameter size required within the range of the pipe forming unit 2. If it is desirable, adjustment of the levels of the guide members 56 and 63 can be made independently by having separate controls, but it is more desirable to provide the control mechanism shown in FIG. 3 to establish the proper levels between the two guide members 56 and 63. In addition, the control of the elevation from the shaft 92 and the gear box 93 by a direct take-off from the power adjustment of the pipe forming unit 2 is most desirable. It seems that the more mechanized and automatic these adjustments are, the mole beneficial it is for the production of pipe where the machine is used to form many different diameter size pipes in rela tively short runs. With the constantly increasing cost of labor, it is conceivable that lack of this type of automation could result in unprofitabl operation of the machine.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it should be understood that the invention can be manufactured in many different ways without departing from the true scope of the appending claims.

We claim:

1. In a device for supplying strip continuously to a machine for making spiral wound pipe from the strip comprising, strip feed means, first and second guide means for horizontally guiding the passage of a continuous length of strip from the strip feed means to the inlet region of the machine, said second guide means being positioned to guide the strip from the strip feed means to the first guide means, said first guide means being horizontal and .angularly fixed to guide the strip from the second guide means closely in to the entry region of the machine, the second guide means being angula rly movable horizontally along a circular are relative to the horizontally fixed first guide means in order to change the direction of strip feed, the rear edge of the first guide means being in close proximity, to the forward edge of the second guide means and both edges being shaped with a horizontal curvature of the same approximate radii of curvature as said circular arc so that the edges remain in proximity when the second guide means is moved through its circular are, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for causing the operation of the power means of one of the guide means in response to a change in the level of the other guide means.

2. In a device for supplying strip continuously to a machine for making spiral wound pipe from the strip comprising, strip feed means, first and second guide means for horizontally guiding the passage of a continuous length of strip from the strip feed means to the inlet region of the machine, said second guide means being positioned to guide the strip from the strip feed means to the first guide means, said first guide means being horizontal andangularly fixed to guide the strip from the second guide means closely in to the entry &

region of the machine, the second guide means being angularly movable horizontally along a circular arc relative to the horizontally fixed first guide means in order to change the direction of strip feed, the rear edge of the first guide means being in close proximity to the forward edge of the second guide means and both edges being shaped with a horizontal curvature of the same approximate radii of curvature as said circular arc so that the edges remain in proximity when the second guide means is moved through its circular arc, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for causing the operation of the power means of one of the guide means in response to a change in the level of the other guide means, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on one of the guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the other guide means, so that one of the switches is actuated when the one guide means is lower than the other guide means and the other switch is actuated when the one guide means is higher than the other guide means, each of said switches causing the energization of the power means to respectively raise or lower one of the guide means to adjust the two guide means to the same horizontal level.

3. In a device for supplying strip continuously to a machine for making spiral wound pipe from the strip comprising, strip feed means, first and second guide means for horizontally guiding the passage of a continuous length of strip from the strip feed means to the inlet region it the machine, said second guide means being positioned to guide the strip from the strip feed means to the first guide means, said first guide means being horizontal and angularly fixed to guide the strip from the second guide means closely into the entry region of the machine, the second guide means being angularly movable horizontally along a circular are relative to the horizontally fixed first guide means in order to change the direction of strip feed, the rear edge of the first guide means being in close proximity to the forward edge of the second guide means and both edges being shaped with a horizontal curvature of the same approximate radii of curvature as said circular are so that the edges remain in proximity when the second guide means is moved through its circular arc, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for adjusting the level of one guide means in response to change in level of the other, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on the second guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the first guide means, the first switch being actuated when the first guide means is lower than the second guide means and the second switch being actuated when the first guide means is higher than the second guide means, .both of said switches being in a neutral position when the two guide means are at the same strip guide level, the actuation of either switch causing the power means of the second guide means to be operated in one direction or the other depending upon which switch is actuated to thereby adjust the level if the second guide means to that of the first guide means.

4. In a device for supplyingstrip continuously to a machine for making spiral wound pipe from the strip comprising, strip feed means, first and second guide means for horizontally guiding the passage of a continuous length of strip from the strip feed means to the inlet region of the machine, said second guide means being positioned to guide the strip from the strip feed means to the first guide means, said first guide means being horizontal and angularly fixed to guide the strip from the second guide means closely in to the entry region of the machine, the second guide means being angularly movable horizontally along a circular arc relative to the horizontally fixed first guide means in order to change the direction of strip feed, the rear edge of the first guide means being in close proximity to the forward edge of the second guide means and both edges being shaped with a horizontal curvature of the same approximate radii of curvature as said circular are so that the edges remain in proximity when the second guide means is moved through its circular arc, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for adjusting the level of one guide means in response to change in level of the other, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on the second guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the first guide means, the first switch being actuated when the first guide means is lower than the second guide means and the second switch being actuated when the first guide means is higher than the second guidemeans, both of said switches being in a neutral position when the two guide means are at the same strip guide level, the actuation of either switch causing the power means of the second guide means to be operated in one direction or the other depending upon which switch is actuated to thereby adjust the level of the second guide means to that of the first guide means, the power means of said first guide means being driven trom power adjustment means on said machine.

5. Strip guide means for guiding a continuous length of strip to a machine for making spiral wound pipe comprising a first strip guide and a second strip guide which both have means for guiding the strip in a horizontal plane, said guides being positioned in series so that the strip is guided from the second strip guide to the first, said first strip guide guiding the strip into the entry region of said machine, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for causing the operation of the power means of one of the guide means in response to a change in the level of the other guide means.

6. Strip guide means for guiding a continuous length of strip to a machine for making spiral wound pipe comprising a first strip guide and a second strip guide which both have means for guiding the strip in a horizontal plane, said guides being positioned in series so that the strip is guided from the second strip guide to the first, said first strip guide guiding the strip into the entry region of said machine, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for causing the operation of the power means of one of the guide means in response to a change in the level of the other guide means, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on one of the guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the other guide means, so that one of the switches is actuated when the one guide means is lower than the other guide means and the other switch is actuated when the one guide means is higher than the other guide means, each of said switches causing the energization of the power means to respectively raise or lower one of the guide means to adjust the two guide means to the same horizontal level.

7. Strip guide means for guiding a continuous length of strip to a machine for making spiral wound pipe comprising a first strip guide and a second strip guide which both have means for guiding the strip in a horizontal plane, said guides being positioned in series so that the strip is guided from the second strip guide to the first, said first strip guide guiding the strip into the entry region of said machine, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for adjusting the level of one guide means in response to change in level of the other, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on the second guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the first guide means, the first switch being actuated when the first guide means is lower than the second guide means and the second switch being actuated when the first guide means is higher than the second guide means, both of said switches being in a neutral position when the two guide means are at the same strip guide level, the actuation of either switch causing the power means of the second guide means to be operated in one direction or the other depending upon which switch is actuated to thereby adjust the level of the second guide means to that of the first guide means.

8. Strip guide means for guiding a continuous length of strip to a machine for making spiral wound pipe comprising a first strip guide and a second strip guide which both have means for guiding the strip in a horizontal plane, said guides being positioned in series so that the strip is guided from the second strip guide to the first, said first strip guide guiding the strip into the entry region of said machine, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for adjusting the level of one guide means in response to change in level of the other, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on the second guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the first guide means, the first switch being actuated when the first guide means is lower than the second guide means and the second switch being actuated when the first guide means is higher than the second guide means, both of said switches being in a neutral position when the two guide means are at the same strip guide level, the actuation of either switch causing the power means of the second guide means to be operated in one direction or the other depending upon which switch is actuated to thereby adjust the level of the second guide means to that of the first guide means, the power means of said first guide means being driven from power adjustment means on said machine.

9. In a device for supplying strip continuously to a machine for making spiral wound pipe from the strip comprising, strip feed means, first and second guide means for horizontally guiding the passage of continuous length of strip from the strip feed means to the inlet region of the machine, said second guide means being positioned to guide the strip from the strip feed means to the first guide means, said first guide means being horizontal and angularly fixed to guide the strip from the second guide means closely in to the entry region of the machine, the second guide means being angularly movable horizontally along a circular are relative to the horizontally fixed first guide means in order to change the direction of strip feed, the rear edge of the first guide means being in close proximity to the forward edge of the second guide means and both edges being shaped with a horizontal curvature of the same approximate radii of curvature as said circular are so that the edges remain in proximity when the second guide means is moved through its circular arc, both of said guide means having power means for adjusting the heights of their strip guide levels, and level control means between the two guide means for causing the operation of the power means of one of the guide means in response to a change in the level of the other guide means, said level control means comprising two switches mounted on one of the guide means with switch actuating arms in the vertical path of the other guide means, so that one of the switches is actuated when the one guide means is lower than the other guide means and the other switch is actuated when the one guide means is higher than the other guide means, each of said switches causing the energization of the power means to respectively raise or lower one of the guide means to adjust the two guide 1 1 means to the same horizontal level, 12116 power means of 2,339,219 said first guide means being driven from power adjustment 2 377 950. means on said machine, 2,642,115 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 2,729,180 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,337,625

2,248,088 Kane July 8, 1941 12 Crowley Jan. 11, 1944 McMinn et a1. June 12, 1945 Van Huffel July 16, 1953 Freeze Jan. 3, 1956 Buck et a1. June 3, 1958 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING STRIP CONTINUOUSLY TO A MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL WOUND PIPE FROM THE STRIP COMPRISING, STRIP FEED MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS FOR HORIZONTALLY GUIDING THE PASSAGE OF A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF STRIP FROM THE STRIP FEED MEANS TO THE INLET REGION OF THE MACHINE, SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS BEING POSITIONED TO GUIDE THE STRIP FROM THE STRIP FEED MEANS TO THE FIRST GUIDE MEANS, SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS BEING HORIZONTAL AND ANGULARLY FIXED TO GUIDE THE STRIP FROM THE SECOND GUIDE MEANS CLOSELY IN TO THE ENTRY REGION OF THE MACHINE, THE SECOND GUIDE MEANS BEING ANGULARLY MOVABLE HORIZONTALLY ALONG A CIRCULAR ARC RELATIVE TO THE HORIZONTALLY FIXED FIRST GUIDE MEANS IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF STRIP FEED, THE REAR EDGE OF THE FIRST GUIDE MEANS BEING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE SECOND GUIDE MEANS AND BOTH EDGES BEING SHAPED WITH A HORIZONTAL CURVATURE OF THE SAME APPROXIMATE RADII OF CURVATURE AS SAID CIRCULAR ARC SO THAT THE EDGES REMAIN IN PROXIMITY WHEN THE SECOND GUIDE MEANS IS MOVED THROUGH ITS CIRCULAR ARC, BOTH OF SAID GUIDE MEANS HAVING POWER MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHTS OF THEIR STRIP GUIDE LEVELS, AND LEVEL CONTROL MEANS BETWEEN THE TWO GUIDE MEANS FOR CAUSING THE OPERATION OF THE POWER MEANS OF ONE OF THE GUIDE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO A CHANGE IN THE LEVEL OF THE OTHER GUIDE MEANS. 